Truth comes Too Late
by ZuZuFarron21
Summary: RenoXElena with a Sad plot...  I Had this Idea but couldn't think of the dialoge so I asked Reno to help me out :D  Kill me if you wish but I'm sorry, it just seemed a cute and sad moment for Reno so I wrote it...


Reno was just finishing up when he got the call...

"Reno, it's Tseng, Elena's in the Medic, she went after Rulian's Gang without back up"

"Damn, is She OK?"

"No..."

At that one word, the Red Head dropped the phone and headed down to see her.

He walked into the room, glancing at the beds until he spotted a Heart Breaking sight. Elena lay on a bed, several machines hooked up to her. Her arms were covered in cuts and bruises whilst, from what he could see, she was bandaged up everywhere else. 'Oh Laney' he thought and sat on the edge of the bed...

"Hey, Rude sorta filled me in. What happened? You ok?"

The girl opened her eyes and smiled a little at the Turk.

"I Just wanted to prove...I can take care of myself, like you and Rude"

Reno sighed and gently began stroking her hair.

"Rude and I usually back each other up. We hardly ever go it alone. Seriously, if anybody knows street gangs, I do, and you DON'T wanna get one their bad sides."

"We're Turks, gangs always hate us, no matter what we do and we'd been looking for them for weeks"

Reno opened his mouth to speak but Elena cut him off as she began to cough uncontrollably, a painful sound. Reno winced at the noise and patted her arm gently.

"Woah now, take it easy"

"I Heard the Doctors talking about me, they were saying I'd lost a lot of blood..."

She turned her head away from the Turk, trying to hide her glistening eyes before finishing...

"They don't think I'm gonna last the night...

The Red Head narrowed his eyes and looked to where a couple of Doctors stood talking, if looks could kill then they'd have been dead on the floor by now, he lowered his gaze back to the Girl on the bed and sighed.

"...no. You're not gonna die. In my opinion, doctors only make drama up to keep their jobs entertaining. I can't even count how many times I 'wasn't gonna last the night'. But I'm a fighter, so..."

Elena nodded, still not meeting the Blue eyes.

"And something tells me you are too. I've seen your determination, and you don't seem the type to lay down and die."

"But your different, you've been doing this for years, I've only been here for one..."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door, Reno cursed beneath his breath and turned round. Tseng stood in the doorway...

"Reno, a word please"

"Huh...? Oh, sure thing."

He gave the Director a puzzled look before turning back to Elena.

"Trust me, babe, I know what I'm talking about."

Tseng placed a hand upon his shoulder, as if bracing him for the coming news...

"Reno, I just spoke with the doctors, Elena's taken quite a beating...They aren't sure what to do right now but they don't think she's gonna last the night unless a miracle happens"

Reno felt the colour drain from his face as he looked up, registering what had just been said.

"...seriously? Damn."

Tseng looked across at Elena before staring at the floor sadly.

"She's a good Turk Reno, but the doctors say their losing her because she's not fighting to stay alive, that's why I need you to try and make her realise just how good she is, give her a reason to stay alive...She's a good friend to all of us but it'll be hardest on you if we lose her..."

Reno looked up, his mind set and nodded.

"...You got it."

He turned away and walked back over to the bed, gently touching Elena's shoulder before sitting down again...

"You still awake, Laney?"

Her eyelids fluttered open and glanced towards Reno before looking back to the ceiling...

"Yup, what did...Tseng want?"

Suddenly she gasped and brought her hand to her chest, wincing in pain as the Red Head looked on uneasily.

"Just filling me in on the details...as usual. Sometimes I think he needs a prescription for Personality pills."

Elena smiled and tried to laugh but caught in her throat and she began coughing violently...

"...You can't lie R...Reno...N...Never was... you strong point..."

She smiled weakly before letting her head fall to the side, a single tear sliping down her bruised cheek. Reno moved forward and brushed a stray hair off her face.

"You're seriously gonna give up...just like that, huh. That's no kinda attitude to have. I don't like it when you cry. Makes me wanna kick something. And besides...you know what the rule is about that stuff."

Elena felt her cheeks heat up at the slight contact and she sighed, letting more tears fall...

"I don't want to...but I'm hurting so much Reno...I...I just want it Stop..."

She reached forward and grabbed Reno's hand in her own, drawing it close to herself before continuing.

"Tu...Turks aren't allowed to c...cry on their death...beds?"

"See, that's where you're wrong. If you keep thinking that, of course that's where you'll end up!"

He became alarmed when he realised that Elena was finding it hard to stay awake and rubbed her cheek, giving her hand a squeeze...

"You remember how you got to join the Turks, right? You were a replacement for another Turk because they weren't supposed to make it. But look at me: I'm still alive and kicking."

But he was Reno...not Elena, he looked the Blonde up and down, shuddering slightly at her Fragile form and leant in a little closer.

"We need you around, Laney. You've gotta be strong about this. You're a capable, determined, and...beautiful woman. I know that if you put your heart and soul into it you could pull this out no sweat."

"b...beautiful? Nah...now I know your kidding..."

She opened her eyes and looked up at the Turk, smiling ever so slightly...

"I don't want to die Reno...not now..."

He sighed and opened his mouth to speak but she cut across him.

"It...it was never Tseng...Y...You know"

"I'm not lying...what?"

"You always...tease me about falling for...The Director but...It wasn't him I fell for..."

Now Reno was starting to get scared, The colour had begun fading from her cheeks and her grip on his hand was loosening. No Way...

"Hey! Stop that...you're not gonna die, you hear me?"

In a desperate bid he placed both hands on either side of her face and looked her in the eye...

"Don't you do it, Laney. Don't you damn do it."

Her breathing became very shallow and she looked away, tears falling from her cheeks...

"It's...It was you...Reno...it's...always been you..."

Her head fell to the side, Reno's eyes widened with shock and he looked down at the girls pained expression feeling his heart tear up with the realization.

"...me? Laney...? Laney?"

"Sorry...I never told...you till the last moment..."

She met his gaze and a faint smile played across her lips as she reached up and stroked the Red Head's cheek weakly.

"thou...thought you said...Turks don't...cry..."

He realised that she meant him and he shook his head to clear his eyes before looking down at the girl, not caring about the desperate tone his voice took on.

"STOP IT! YOU'RE NOT DYING! KAY? All you're doing is giving up! Throwing in the towel! Sure it hurts, but it'll pass! I promise: just...don't...go."

"I'm s...sorry...Reno...I love..."

Her hand fell from his cheek and landed with a thud on the bed, the smile on her lips faded and she closed her eyes for the final time. Reno froze with shock, a single tear running down his face...

"ELENA!"

"Reno?"

The Turk spun around and screamed at Rude and Tseng.

"Somebody get the damn doctor! QUICK DAMN IT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STANDING THERE FOR? MOVE IT!"

Several Doctors rushed in with the needed equipment but Reno couldn't move, he felt trapped, as if the minute he let go of her hand then...

"Reno, come on, they need to get to Elena"

He felt Rude grab his arm and pull him off the bed but still he wouldn't move.

"Sir Please..."

Shaking off Rude's hand he leant over the girl and shook her shoulders, screaming at the top of his lungs...

"DON'T YOU DO IT, DAMN IT!"

Rude pulled Reno off the bed and Doctors swarmed the Girl, Reno's thought's blurred and he lost track of time before he was brought by to his senses via two words.

"I'm Sorry..."

Anger and Pain wracked his body and he turned to the Doctor with a face of pure rage.

"No you turn your ass around and try harder!"

Rude cut in, taking his friends arm, preparing to lead him from the room.

"Reno...She's gone...there's nothing more we can do..."

Tseng looked down at the girls broken body and sighed.

"Reno...I'm Sorry but Rude's right..."

The Red Head jerked out of Rude's grip and glared at the two of them.

"Shut the hell up, both you."

He began towards the bed but froze, he just couldn't...So he gritted his teath and stormed from the medical bay, slamming the door behind him.

'Damn it Elena'

Rude glanced around the dimly lit office, spying a firgure sat in the corner of the room...

"Reno?"

"Don't wanna hear it. If you're here to say something save it."

Rude was shocked at how broken his Friends voice was and he walked over to him and knelt beside the Turk.

"Reno...What Happened?"

He could make out his friend giving him a look of pure hate before answering...

"Oh, geez, I don't know. One of the Turks just DIED."

Rude sighed and Reno turned his gaze back forward, refusing to meet his Friends eyes.

"You know what I mean Reno, what happened between you and her? We've lost Turks before, some of whom we've been good friends with but I've never seen you like this..."

Reno growled under his breath and jumped up.

"Look, I never like seeing one of us get killed off, ok? And all this time I had no idea..."

He began pacing the room, raking his hand through his hair. Fighting back tears he knew he couldn't stop...

"Man, I'm such a damn idiot."

"Reno?"

The Red Head paused and looked at his Partner, a strange Vacant look settling on his face.

"She...loved me, Rude."

Rude's mouth fell open and he remained silent for a minute before standing...

"She...Loved...You...oh Reno..."

He moved forward, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a photo.

"Tseng...found this in her jacket earlier, after she came in. He suggested I gave it to you..."

They both knew the shot, it was taken at the annual dance and the two people in it were Reno and Elena. He'd gone in his uniform, adding a black tie to get it at a formal level whilst Elena gone for a sweet black chiffon dress. Reno glanced at the photo and looked away swiftly, as if he'd been slapped...

"How did I not see that? It's so freakin' obvious now"

He began to pace again, a more desperate look overcoming his features and Rude sighed, placing the photo onto Reno's desk before picking up a framed picture of the four of them.

"You weren't to know...none of us did...She always acted weird around Tseng but she talked to you more than anyone...Remember the conversation you had with her the other day?"

"Which one?"

Rude propped the photo back agaisnt the Computer screen and looked up.

"She came to get you because Tseng wanted to speak to you and You told me that she broke down because she was worried that you were gonna get hurt if you didn't watch yer back..."

Reno moved to the desk and dropped into the chair behind it, he glanced over at the picture, an absent look clouding his face...

"Oh. Elena..."

"Did You...Did You Love Her?"

Reno looked across at his friend then back to the photo of Himself and Elena.

"I...Ya know...I didn't know it, but maybe I did."

Rude placed a hand on his shoulder and shook it lightly.

"Then Smile...Get up and Keep on Going...that's what Elena would want..."

He slipped the photo into Reno's hand before standing to leave.

"Only You know what your feelings are Reno..."

Rude left and Reno stared down at the picture, overwhelmed with emotion and whispered to himself...

"...keep going, huh."


End file.
